Masters of the Universe (1987)

By the Power of Grayskull... This Movie ExistsWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guests Jordan Collier and Derrick Tesson to tackle the 1987 sci-fi fantasy spectacle Masters of the Universe. What happens when you take beloved toys, add Dolph Lundgren in a furry loincloth, and let Cannon Films work their budget magic? A movie that should have been good but becomes a fascinating study in wasted potential.The Cosmic Key to This DiscussionThe crew dives deep into this He-Man adaptation that somehow makes its titular hero a supporting character in his own movie. While Franklin Langella chews scenery magnificently as Skeletor, delivering Shakespearean gravitas to lines like "Tell me about the loneliness of good, He-Man—is it equal to the loneliness of evil?", the film suffers from an identity crisis. Is it Star Wars? Is it Conan? The answer: it's a Cannon Films production that tries to be both and succeeds at neither.Nathan defends his childhood favorite while acknowledging its flaws, giving it a nostalgic 7 out of 10 cosmic keys. The other hosts are less forgiving, with ratings ranging from 3-6, all agreeing that the movie's biggest sin is having too much plot crammed into its runtime. The discussion reveals how Masters of the Universe exemplifies the late-80s trend of studios trying to manufacture Star Wars-level franchises without understanding what made that saga work.Additional Cosmic Revelations:Gwildor (Billy Barty) somehow became the real protagonist while He-Man watches from the sidelinesDolph Lundgren dubbed his own lines despite not being fluent in English during filmingThe film's budget constraints forced most action to Earth, making it less a He-Man movie and more a sci-fi fish-out-of-water storySkeletor's mask was later recycled for Star Trek: The Next GenerationThe movie features unexpected connections to Friends and Back to the FutureThe Final VerdictDespite universal agreement that the movie fails to live up to its potential, the hosts find entertainment value in its ambitious campiness and Langella's committed villain performance. It's a movie that epitomizes the "so bad it's almost good" category—emphasis on almost.Ready for More 80s Movie Magic?Join the conversation at trustory.fm where members get early, ad-free access plus exclusive bonus content! Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky.Learn more about our hosts and guests: Squishy Studios and Neighborhood Comedy TheatreWhat's your take on 80s movies that had all the right ingredients but couldn't quite make the recipe work? ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website to learn more.